A Lesson Learned
by Turbotail88
Summary: Modern AU, in which Eren and Jean are fraternal twins and Levi their single, sassy and overbearing father. What could possibly go wrong? Heavy swearing! Challenge-fic.


A challenge proposed to me by CanaanAlphardForever. The subject: Twins AU. The challenge: write it before Sunday. Though in hindsight, I think she might have preferred _identical _twins, but I was so stuck on the idea of Eren and Jean as _fraternal _twins that I wouldn't shake it off. Sorry :s

Note: football means soccer in this story. I refuse to be pulled into the North American variation, because _football_ makes more sense than _soccer._

x

Quiet mornings were rare in Levi's household. Often filled with bickering and wrestling matches, the atmosphere in this home was akin to the volcanoes scattered across Earth – dormant, filled with destructive potential, and ultimately chaotic. Not to mention _loud. _If anything, Levi was glad his boys knocked each other out from time to time. Their hurricane-like behaviour could only beget further disdain from their neighbours. The last time someone came knocking on their door and showered Levi with flowers, rainbows and sunshine of hatred, it took more than a pinch of patience to calmly dissuade the disgruntled visitor from calling the police.

It was no wonder that, when push came to shove, Levi would ungracefully throw his sons out onto the street with annoyance, telling them to work out their differences elsewhere and return only when they learned to breathe the same air without accusing the other of poisoning it.

Levi sipped the tea from his mug slowly, relishing the silence while it lasted. His boys slept in on weekends, however with an upcoming football game he knew they would be up and running before seven. The man had forced himself to wake up earlier than usual in order to avoid the litany of complaints and curses sure to follow his laziness on what was usually his lazy day.

The short man stared out the window, watching the rising sun lift itself higher into the sky and settle occasionally to bathe the world in glorious, warm light. He relaxed his muscles, resting his body in a full state of bliss and wonder, pondering the length of his respite.

"You son of a bitch!"

And thus, a typical morning began.

x

"I _told _you, Jean was the one who punched me to wake me up, _not _the other way around!" a young man screamed, relentlessly shaking his arms up and down as he tried to explain himself.

The other young man beside him rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever, oh mighty, all-knowing, honest _Eren_." The name was spat with resentment inked into every syllable, making the holder of the name narrow his eyes in contempt.

Eren was a tall scrawny boy with short, coffee hair the likeness of which tickled his forehead in soft strands. He had fierce green eyes that betrayed his composure several times with their unbridled emotion and passion. His tanned complexion highlighted the colour of his irises and spoke volumes of his athletic pastimes under the sun.

Jean, on the other hand, was nearly the same height as his counterpart but fell short a few inches, making up for it with a slightly bulkier build. His hair spiked forward and down in clumps of ash blonde, leaving the underside a darker shade of grey. His eyes burned with molten amber, and though not containing the passion of Eren, exuded a similar emotion that left others to guess at the mysteries that lied within.

No matter how much they denied it, no matter how much each tried to pinpoint the differences, the boys _looked alike_. If Levi wanted, he could shave their heads, make them wear the same clothes and throw sunglasses on their faces and _no one would tell the difference. _It was in the way they acted, carried themselves and dressed that made them different. Jean was a little shorter and Eren a little skinnier, but they could pull off identical twins if they ever so desired. However, no such desire existed, and never would exist.

Both boys wore the traditional football uniforms of the same team, white shorts and forest green, short-sleeved jerseys with their team name stamped on the front. _The Scouting Legion_. In all honesty, neither players knew the meaning of the name and neither cared to. It was the game that mattered most to them.

Jean pulled on his cleats with familiarity, tying the laces unconsciously as though doing it from muscle memory. Eren tapped his own cleats on the evenly trimmed grass impatiently, waiting for Levi to digest the information and pull out the punishment of his choosing. Really, it wasn't all that complicated: Eren slept in, Jean punched him, and Eren retaliated with various horse-related insults that spurred fierce brawling. Jean was the instigator, therefore _Jean _should be punished. Not Eren.

But Levi did not see it that way, and it infuriated the boy to no end. He was certain his father enjoyed torturing him on some level which is why he took the time to spite him on any presentable occasion.

"Eren," Levi began, voice impossibly calm through the storm he entered, "you know how much your brother hates it when you talk shit about him. Especially to his face." The irony was not lost on either of them.

"He punched me. Seriously! What the fuck, why am I getting punished for defending myself?" Eren argued.

Levi grabbed Eren's collar to pull him closer, grabbed his arm, pivoted on the ball of his foot and threw the boy over his shoulder in a remarkable take-down. Eren groaned as he lied on his back, squinting his eyes against the sun that, hours ago, Levi had taken the time to admire. A shadow cast over him and he stared into merciless obsidian eyes.

"Shut up, moron," Levi's voice cut through him like a knife, "you don't go dancing around the fucking bull after it charges at you. You should have just walked away like a smart person, but instead you took your panties off and fucking mooned the bull. Are you still confused about why you now have his horns rammed up your ass, or should I explain further?"

Eren shook his head. "No, sir."

Levi straightened, a smug smirk on his face. "Good." Suddenly, his expression shifted to wrath and he turned abruptly, approaching Jean's crouching form and kicking it with his heel. Jean yelped before he fell over, gasping for air when Levi kicked his ribs hard enough to put pressure and make the boy squeal. Gold met ebony and Jean swallowed audibly.

"You hurt your brother like that again and you'll get more than a love tap to your ribs. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," Jean gasped, eyes wide.

Levi nodded and moved away, sitting at the bleachers where the entire crowd had observed the spectacle. Most of them shrugged and sighed in exasperation, knowing Levi's dramatics often enough to understand why he did them, but newcomers were appalled, shocked and some even indignant. This could be considered child abuse on some level.

The short man sat with his elbows atop the platform behind him, his left ankle resting on his right knee and his expression stoic. He watched Eren and Jean recover from their brief physical altercations and straighten with pride. The boys glanced at each other, nodded, then moved to meet up with their team. Upon noticing the fraternal twins, the other teenagers welcomed them and mocked them lightly for the show.

"That was totally unnecessary, you know," a light voice reprimanded, taking a seat beside the young father and tapping his knee with a scolding palm.

Levi lifted an eyebrow at his colleague and good friend, Petra, before shrugging and dipping his head back. "Unnecessary, but fun," he acknowledged, if only to hear the exasperated sigh and see the bewildered smile on her face. When both came, he chuckled.

Petra sipped from the straw in her sodapop bottle, smacking her lips as the acid burned her throat. "Today's game is definitely going to be interesting," Petra remarked, looking over at the rival team stretching and practising. There was a good fifteen minutes before the game actually started.

Levi spotted a few familiar faces on the field, notably those that had gotten into fights with his boys on several occasions. He sighed, glad that he had brought his medical kit with him in his car. "Interesting is an understatement," he muttered. "It's more like, the most fucking explosive game in the season."

Petra laughed and shook her head, auburn wisps brushing along her cheeks as her body shook from amusement. "That sounds about right," she mused.

Levi looked around Petra, seemingly searching for someone. "Nanaba's not here?" he enquired, nudging his friend with his elbow. Petra sighed and shook her head.

"No, she's working late tonight. Unfortunately she'll be missing out on Krista's first game."

"Where is the little midget anyway?" Levi asked playfully, scanning the home team for the blonde. Though bashful and shy, he had grown fond of her whenever he visited Petra and Nanaba's home.

"Ymir's giving her a little pep talk," Petra commented, pointing to where a tall, lanky brunette had her hands on the aforementioned blonde, shaking her like a rag doll with a stern look on her face. Levi felt the instinct to tackle the brunette and almost rose before Petra stopped him with a hand to his knee.

"Don't worry, she's fine," Petra reassured, "Ymir and her are extremely close friends. It's actually because of Ymir that Krista decided to join the football team."

Levi watched the brunette closely, remembering more than one occasion where she had blown up mid-game and taken out her frustrations on the nearest player, friend or foe. She was an unknown, a variable, a threat. Levi could build a deck from her accumulated red and yellow cards.

"As long as she pisses off when told, and shuts the fuck up when told, I have no problem with her," Levi stated, flitting his eyes to where the referee stood, explaining the teams' behaviours to his co-refs. He admired the strong, firm backside momentarily, taking his time to explore the muscular build with his eyes before glancing away. He slipped back into his thoughts as he observed Jean and Eren.

A unisex football team proved to be the best decision the football club association had made in a while. Different personality dynamics and strategies compiled together made the matches far more interesting, _especially _when the drama broke out on the field. Nothing was better than watching a budding love triangle between hormonal teenagers erupt into a massive confrontation. Almost every game was sold out whenever the team played at home.

Jean approached Mikasa, their team captain, almost unconsciously. He inhaled her scent on accident and immediately flushed, glancing off to the side to see Eren chatting animatedly with Armin, his best friend. The team captain was fully concentrating on the task at hand, keeping the black and white ball in the air as she bounced it on her knees.

Mikasa had a red ribbon tied around her left arm, signalling her status as leader. Her cropped black hair framed her delicate face, her fair complexion contrasting with the hue of her dark irises and the red of her lips. She was the epitome of deadly grace and beauty combined. And Jean totally had the hots for her.

His saliva threatened to seep from the corner of his mouth as he approached her, and he cleared his throat to quickly regain his cool. Brushing his hair quickly with his fingers, the teen approached Mikasa with false bravado and calm.

"Hey, Mikasa," he greeted, trembling in his effort to maintain a smile. Mikasa glanced at him, impassive, and stopped dribbling the ball between her knees. She gave a small smile in return and Jean felt his heart stop then reboot, going far faster than before. He blabbered uselessly for a minute, a blush spreading across his cheeks. Mikasa tilted her head to the side, curious, then sighed when Jean obviously made no attempt at coherent conversation. She passed by him with the ball under her arm, shouting orders for her team to regroup.

The boy blinked and rubbed the back of his neck, a cloud appearing over his head. His body sagged with blue emotions and he tried to push them away. However, he didn't expect to _be _pushed.

Eren shoved his brother with a frown, having seen the exchange. Sure, he and Jean didn't always get along and _sure_ Jean was incredibly nit-picky and nagged him for his sweaty socks and unfinished homework, but they were brothers. Fraternal twins. Whatever Jean felt, Eren felt as well, and he could not sit idly by while remorse and dread swelled within his heart.

Jean turned and glared at his brother, but there was no fire in his eyes, only empty irritation. Eren grinned and shrugged, clapping his brother's back and wounding his arm around his shoulder. The shorter young man was so out of it, he didn't even bother pushing the arm off, simply giving in and joining the others.

The whole team was warming up with languid stretches, releasing the knots from their muscles and relaxing them enough so they weren't stiff and easily scarred. Ymir helped Krista by making the blonde lie back and pushing one leg so that her toes were behind her ear. Though it seemed she had ulterior motives, if the suggestive look on her face and Krista's furious blush were any indication. Her mouth rested suspiciously close to the blonde's ears, moving in silent whispers meant for Krista and Krista alone.

Jean halfheartedly stretched, not really caring either way, watching Mikasa as she interacted with Annie, her co-captain. The two huddled close, touching and smiling secretively, and it was then that Jean finally picked up on their strange behaviour and frowned heavily. Jealousy pervaded his mind, poisoning his conscious as he unknowingly ripped the grass from its roots and clenched his teeth. He shook his head immediately to dispel it, but it was there, lingering in the back of his mind, ruining every memory he had with Mikasa.

Levi watched from where he sat, knowing that, someway, somehow, shit was going to hit the fan, and it would _not _be pretty.

x

Jean panted as he passed the ball over to Reiner, watching the impressive forward barrel through the field with his inhuman strength. His powerful legs propelled him towards the left corner of the enemy's field before he attempted to cross the ball, his kick resounding loudly in the park as the ball soared over Bertholdt. The young man was so tall he easily towered over everyone around him, hence being the middle forward, and nonchalantly jumped and headbutted the ball over the goalkeeper and into the net.

The team cheered in celebration, Eren sprinting across the field to tackle Bert in a hug, but then the referee whistled and shook his head, crossing his arms. He pointed to Connie, who had been offside while Reiner had painstakingly brought the ball over for an assist. Eren immediately tore away from Bert, stomping down the field in a murderous rage, eyes blazing to reprimand his teammate when Jean burst forward and tackled his brother, sending them both sprawling to the ground. A mass of tangled limbs and curses, Jean held his twin down with a stare that warned him to go any further. Eren rolled his eyes and grumbled something under his breath. Reassured by the sight, Jean stood and offered his brother a hand, pulling him up and clapping his back in gratitude. Eren returned the action in kind, and soon both twins returned to their positions with grins.

Despite their unfortunate tally, which was two to one in favour of the other team, the brothers were having a great time. They had played remarkably well and were permitted to stay on field all game, a rare occurrence for both of them. Eren had the habit of picking fights with the team and Jean always destroyed plays in his fear, however today they had more ambition, more competitive spirit... and they had Levi to thank.

Levi, their overbearing, harsh, sassy beyond belief and incredibly _short _father, was perhaps the single most influential being in both teenagers' lives. He had a philosophy so simple, so straightforward, it could be summed up to two words: 'no regrets'. He lived by his code often, never looking back, never second-guessing, never bothering to confront the past he knew was already defeated. And this attitude was what brought forth the startling personalities of both boys, who knew that to hide emotion was to hide intention, and that itself could bring upon serious regrets.

Jean tilted his head slightly in thought as he returned to midfield, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Perhaps he didn't need to be the man Mikasa wanted. Perhaps he simply wanted for someone to need the man he was. A quick glance at the captain had him frown for a minute, trying to sort out his feelings, but then the whistle blew and the opposing goalkeeper passed the ball to one of his defenders.

The ball back in motion, Reiner, Mikasa, Bert and Connie rushed forward to set up a play, Mikasa dashing ahead to attempt to steal the ball. She introduced clever foot play and beguiled the defender, swiftly transferring the ball between her ankles and deftly running forth. On a breakaway, she pushed her legs harder, and Jean stood, transfixed by her strength, her beauty, her charisma... and then the spell broke, for Annie bumped into his shoulder roughly and glared at him from underneath her lashes, a challenge resting in her azure eyes.

As much as it tempted Jean to react, as much as his heart screamed for action, Jean instead took a deep, calming breath, glanced at Levi and responded. Instead of mooning the bull, he walked away. He ignored the petite blonde and watched Mikasa expertly curve the ball into the net, securing a tie for their team and thus ending the game in a draw.

Levi had never felt so proud of his son than in that moment.

x

Eren slammed the door in the car, sighing in relief as he tilted his sweat-soaked head against the cool leather seat. Levi had turned the car on while the boys were finishing up their match, and with the air conditioner on, had prepared a suitable reprieve for the exhausted teenagers.

Jean sat in the front, brooding quietly as he watched Mikasa and what little remained of his broken heart fly away into Annie's arms. He glanced over to where Ymir held a gallon of water before dumping it directly onto Krista's head, laughing maniacally at her startled shriek, then immediately doubling over in pain as stomach was introduced to head. He snorted in amusement, smiling wryly and shaking his head.

Levi shot a glance his way then sighed, pulling the gearshift to drive as he mulled over the possibilities of conversation. Why did he stay single again? Oh, right... relationships were too personal for him. Thinking of his last one made him shudder as he drove onto the street from the parking lot, honking a farewell to Petra and waving gently. However, he needed to say something to Jean, and he knew exactly how.

Eren tapped his fingers against his knees, bouncing his head to a tune inside his mind. He sighed in irritation and leaned forward on the middle console to thrust his hand out against the radio's tuning knob. Jean was so occupied in his thoughts, lost in the reflection of his window, he almost didn't notice when Eren flipped through stations to land on a flimsy, modern pop frequency, the latest trendy hit blasting through Levi's speakers.

Levi had a varied and extensive taste in music, so the song didn't bother him, but the high pitch, obviously altered voice singing to upbeat tempos and melodies narrowed Jean's eyes. He wrenched his mind away from contemplation and twisted in his seat to glare at Eren, who met his gaze with a similar one.

Both boys stayed that way for a while, until Jean slowly reached his hand and switched the frequency to land on a classic rock station. Familiar voices tinted in sorrow and regret hummed with purpose as guitar strings tweaked and drum beats bellowed. Eren scoffed and rolled his eyes, but made no move to change the channel. Jean smirked in relief, returning to his pondering pose, allowing the sadness to settle in his mind like the sediments burrowed beneath the dusty, ancient Earth.

_I'm so fancy..._

Jean's eyes shot open and he whirled around to face Eren, who sang along with the song and added his own unique twist to it, twisting his hips and bouncing his shoulders. He seethed and his hand shot out to change the station, but Levi stopped him, frown evident and his mouth opened as he whispered the lyrics.

"Stop. I like this song," Levi said, eyes focused ahead. Eren punched the air in victory and returned to his horrid _dancing_, mocking Jean by thrusting his hips toward the air and lashing his tongue to and fro. Jean bristled and prepared to attack, but bit his lip as he remembered Levi's earlier warnings from the morning. Along with the kick that made him wince from memory.

The boy deflated, physically and emotionally drained from the football game and now suffering a mental backlash as the pop song infiltrated his very mind, poisoning his thoughts with images of bizarre singers and their alien fashion sense. He slammed his forehead against the window, rubbing his sweat across the surface and sighing.

When Levi passed the street that led to their humble home, Jean frowned in confusion and glanced at his father, who remained concentrated on the road even as he spoke.

"We're going for some ice cream. You two did good today. I'm proud of you," Levi explained. His expression warmed for a few seconds. Jean smiled and thanked his father, however he couldn't shake the feeling that his words were meant for him.

"Yeah, thanks, Dad," Eren echoed, gratitude in his tone evident as he grinned at Levi through the rear view mirror.

Soon, the trio reached the small ice cream shack, located in the corner of a market plaza and comfortably tucked in its own block. The majority of the block was reserved for parking and seating, so the three unclasped their seat belts as they exited the car and approached the shack. They waited, seeing no one at the front, then just as Levi sighed in irritation and drummed his fingers against the counter top, Ymir appeared.

Jean's eyes widened in shock and Ymir's face paled in horror. She remained professional, however, and kept any emotion clear from her face as she glanced between the family members. Eren grinned widely and couldn't keep the irritating smugness from surfacing through his tone.

"Fancy seeing you here," he laughed, immediately stopping short and recoiling as Ymir glared spikes of terror at him. If looks could kill, he would have been dead a thousand times over.

"Shut up," the brunette grumbled, adjusting the visor cap on her head and straightening her colourful uniform. "Can I take your order so we can forget we ever saw each other?"

Levi observed the brunette thoughtfully, before he smirked and leaned forward. "I think, as customers, we deserve a little more respect from you, Ymir."

The brunette clenched her teeth, locking her jaw as she struggled to maintain her stoicism. "And what would you like me to do, oh dearest _customer_." The last word came out like an expletive, full of venom and sarcasm, despite her efforts.

"I'm not just your customer," Levi whispered, leaning into his open palm easily, "I'm your lord, your saviour, your salvation, your–"

"Oh just shut the fuck up and order something already, goddamn it!" Ymir yelled, slamming her fists against the counter.

Jean and Eren were drawn close to tears from how hard they laughed, supporting each other through shoulder grips and leaning. Once they recovered, they noticed Levi struggling to keep his shoulders from shaking. Ymir trembled from anger as Levi detailed the order, knowing his boys' favourite ice cream flavours and types by heart. It made the young men smile warmly and each place a hand on their father's shoulders, a silent demonstration of affection that went beyond touch.

Ymir's movements were rattled and stiff. Irritation dictated her actions and fury spewed from her mouth in the form of grunts and low curses as she put together Levi's demands. By the end of it, she shoved the orders – placed onto a tray – into Levi's arms and told him through grit teeth to have a pleasant day. Levi raised an eyebrow, impressed with her resilience, and shrugged, passing off each ice cream to his sons before scooping some into his mouth. He threw the tray into Ymir's arms and left the payment on the counter, leaving a generous tip. When the brunette looked up in shock after counting the money, Levi had already settled on a table located at the corner of the block.

The family ate in content silence, a pleasant atmosphere surrounding them. Cars pulled up nearby, paying visit to the shack and further challenging Ymir's patience when indecisive children stood on their tip toes to pick what they wanted. Levi amused himself by watching Ymir struggle through the process of professionalism, but soon decided enough was enough and stalling would get him nowhere.

"Jean," he began, waiting until the young man locked gazes with him before proceeding, "I know what happened today on that field. And I'm not talking about Eren's lack of anger management skills."

Eren snorted and continued eating, keeping his head down as he stared at Jean. This was one conversation he wished no part in.

Jean paled and nervously smiled, no longer having the required appetite to finish his treat. He played with his spoon for a bit, swirling the flavours of his ice cream in his cup as he gathered his thoughts. Levi waited patiently, hands clasped and eyes a cross between fire and ice, somewhere between lava and snow. There was an anger, a familiar, parental anger related to his shortcomings as a father and his inability to properly relay his concern and care to his sons, as well as his fury at Mikasa for hurting his boy this way.

There was also ice, the stoicism ever present in his personality that struggled to retain control over his anger, the anchor to his temper that prevented outbursts like Eren's to ever occur. He fought with both, wanting to show emotion but not wanting to broil his temper.

Jean swallowed anxiously and released a shuddering breath. It would not be wise to play dumb at this moment.

"I think..." Jean struggled to put his thoughts into words. "I think that... it was never serious to begin with. I thought I loved her. I thought I could be with her, but... I'm not the man she needs. She doesn't even want a man." He laughed bitterly at this, sliding his palm down his face in a sudden movement of self-hate. He paused to gather his thoughts and control his emotions, unconsciously swirling his ice cream. "I learned something. I learned that I can't change myself to fit an ideal mould. Someone has to want and need who I am, and it has to be an almost-perfect fit. If I have to change myself for that person, then it's not love."

Levi smiled – a rare action that startled both boys. He sighed and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms behind his head. "I didn't even have to say anything. Damn, you kids grow up so fast. I remember it was only yesterday that Eren shat in his diapers and cried until his lungs popped... or maybe it really _was _yesterday."

"Hey!" Eren yelled, indignant. He crossed his arms and a definitive pout pulled at his lips, making Levi chuckle. Jean grinned and toed his brother's knee, to which Eren responded with a light kick to his shin, then degenerated to a violent variation of footsie where the goal was to kick the shit out of the other person's leg.

Levi sighed in irritation and stomped on both his sons' feet, making them cry out in pain simultaneously. He shook his head and turned to Eren, waiting for the boy to regain his bearing before speaking.

"And what did you learn today, Eren?" he questioned, easing his feet off.

Eren frowned, deep in thought, then snapped his fingers. "I learned that we have four lesbians on our football team, and I _definitely _think Reiner has the hots for Bert."

Levi stared blankly at his son and lifted his foot, kicking him off the bench.

Though they were twins, and though they might have similar appearances, Eren and Jean were absolutely nothing alike.


End file.
